This invention concerns snowshoes, and more specifically the invention is directed to a snowshoe of hybrid construction, in which a pair of spaced rails form a central part of the frame, and molded plastic pieces form the nose and tail of the snowshoe.
Conventional snowshoes have been constructed in several different ways. One construction currently used is a bent frame construction, shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,827, in which a metal frame (typically aluminum tubing) is formed with a number of bends, welded together at the tail end, to form the periphery of the snowshoe to which decking is attached. Another snowshoe construction essentially entirely of molded plastic, but with longitudinal reinforcing metal rails, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,643.
Snowshoe frame s constructed of formed and welded tubing are sturdy and reliable, but relatively expensive to produce. The all-molded plastic snowshoe of the latter patent referenced above, although a departure from most conventional snowshoe construction, does not represent a significant savings in construction costs, in part because of the need to assemble metal rails onto the bottom of the molded snowshoe deck, to provide sufficient rigidity; the all-molded snowshoe also lacks flexibility under the user's heel.
It is among the objects of this invention to form a snowshoe by hybrid construction, wherein a pair of spaced rails form the center of the snowshoe frame, with front and rear ends formed by relatively rigid molded plastic components secured to the rails, avoiding the need for an expensive metal frame and providing for versatility in producing snowshoes of different lengths.